How Data Is Driving Smarter Player Representation At GSW

Data and analytics play a vital role in how General Sports Worldwide identify talent, support clients and help footballers maximise their potential.

As Head of Data and Analytics within our Football Management division, Josh Brian (pictured) combines data-driven insight with an understanding of the modern game to deliver a more informed, personalised approach to player representation.

He explains:

My role is primarily about how we use data and analytics to promote our players, service our clients and identify opportunities to help them develop.

From identifying emerging talent and analysing player performance to creating detailed player profiles and video analysis, Josh uses data to demonstrate a player’s strengths, identify areas for improvement and communicate their value to clubs.

He continues:

What makes our approach different is that it’s not just about highlighting the goals, the best moments or the biggest tackles. It’s about really understanding a player’s attributes and characteristics, then showcasing those through both video and data to demonstrate where they can add value to a team.

Josh’s work also supports contract negotiations, providing objective evidence to help ensure players are appropriately valued, while offering clients and their families a clearer understanding of their abilities, potential and career opportunities.

People will always have their opinions and experience, and that’s important. What data provides is an objective perspective to support those decisions. It helps us understand a player’s true value and build a stronger argument when we’re negotiating on their behalf.

Josh’s passion for the subject began with an introduction to a leading sports technology company, before he studied football business at UCFB at Wembley Stadium. He subsequently gained experience at Brentford FC, where he developed his understanding of how data could inform decision-making across a football club, before moving into football representation.

Bringing that experience into GSW has also meant challenging established ways of thinking and encouraging colleagues to embrace the opportunities presented by data-led decision-making.

Part of my responsibility is to help educate people and challenge them to think a little differently about how they work. The use of data has grown massively within football clubs, but there are still opportunities for the representation industry to make better use of it.

“The thing that gives me the most enjoyment is working with a player we’ve identified, either individually or as a group, and seeing the value we can add to their lives and the trajectory of their careers.

Mark Gottlieb, GSW’s Executive Vice President, Global Football, added:

Football is becoming increasingly data-driven and Josh and the GSW team are committed to combining insight, analysis, scouting and collective experience and relationships to deliver a smarter, more effective approach to player representation and support.

Get in touch to discover how GSW’s Football Management team can support you.